Vending apparatus



Oct. 5, 1965 J. E. KALlSTA VENDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 4, 1964 INVENTOR John E. Kolisro WITNESSES K ivy/MM QW ATTORNEY Oct. 5, 1965 I J. E. KALISTA 3,209,946

VENDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 4, 1964 s Shets-Sheet 2 Oct. 5, 1965 J. E. KALISTA VENDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 4, 1964 United States Patent ()fi ice 3,299,946 Patented Oct. 5, 1965 3,209,946 VENDING APPARATUS John E. Kalista, Chicopee Falls, Mass, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 342,404 7 Claims. (Cl. 221125) This invention relates to a vending machine adapted to vend articles or materials of different variety or selection, for example, bottles of beverages of different flavors.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved control that prevents the dispensing of more than one variety of article or material upon a vending operation initiated by depositing the required coinage; a more particular object being to provide an electrical interlock type of control.

A more particular object is to provide such a control that does not require a relay for each selection.

The vending machine of the illustrated embodiment comprises a plurality of article dispensing or releasing mechanisms, and a common operating mechanism to actuate the selected one of the several dispensing mechanisms. Each dispensing mechanism is provided with a coupling element, actuated by a solenoid mechanically connected thereto, for coupling the dispensing mechanism to the operating mechanism.

The machine is further provided with a selector switch for each variety of article, and the selector switch is adapted to energize an associated solenoid which mechanically actuates the coupling element of a dispensing mechanism that dispenses articles of the selected variety. The several selector switches have contacts arranged in a series relation such that when any selector switch is actuated to operate an associated solenoid, it opens the circuit to the selector switches later in series, so that no more than one selector switch can be effective at any one time. Each solenoid is provided with a hold-in switch actuated directly by the solenoid and having contacts to maintain the solenoid energized. The several hold-in switches also have contacts in a series relation such that when any hold-in switch is actuated to energize the associated solenoid, it opens the circuit to the hold-in switches later in the series of hold-in switches, which series may extend in the opposite direction of the selector switch series. A means, such as a relay, is also provided to open the circuit to all the selector switches and render them ineffective whenever any one hold-in switch is actuated.

The common operating mechanism and the several dispensing mechanisms are arranged so that in a dispensing operation there is a limited movement, which may be referred to as a lost motion, of the common operating mechanism before it begins to operate the coupled dispensing mechanism. This movement is provided so that in the event that more than one solenoid should have become energized for any reason, there is time for the actuated holdin switch first in series to open the circuit of, and deenergize, any solenoid later in series and for the coupling element connected thereto to be retracted from effective position.

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a bottle vending machine embodying the invention, in the rest or nondispensing position;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view illustrating, diagrammatically, one bottle releasing mechanism in the releasing or dispensing position;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of FIG. 1, showing the apparatus in the rest or non-dispensing position;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, but showing one lifter or coupling member in position to engage its associated releasing mechanism for actuation by the common operating mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a similar view to FIG. 4, but showing the apparatus in the dispensing position; and

FIG. 6 is a wiring diagram of the control, showing the parts in the normal or non-dispensing position.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the present invention is shown embodied in a bottle vending machine having a magazine structure comprising a front wall 11, a rear wall 12, and a plurality of spaced apart parallel walls such as the wall 13 extending between the front and rear walls to provide a plurality of magazines or compartments 14, 14a, 14b, 14c, there being four such compartments in the illustrated embodiment, each adapted to hold a vertical column of bottles of one bottle width. At the lower end of each compartment 14, 14a, 14b, or there is a bottle releasing or dispensing mechanism of any suitable type. The illustrated embodiment incorporates the one disclosed and claimed in United States Patent No. 3,118,567, granted January 21, 1964 to Meigs W. Newberry, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

Each releasing mechanism comprises two bottle supporting and releasing such as the rods 15 and 15a extending from front to rear and carried at the upper ends of levers such as the levers 16 and 16a, pivoted about pivot pins such as the pins 17, 17a. The releasing mechanism further comprises vertically movable rod operating plates such at the plates 18, 18a, 18b, and 180, each connected by respective links such as the pair of links 19, 19a to the lower ends of the levers 16, 16a respectively, below the pivots 17, 17a. Each of the rod operating plates 18, 18a, 18b and are vertically slidable through openings such as the openings formed at 180 and 181, but not shown in detail in the upper and lower flanges of a channel member 21 whose vertical wall forms the lower portion of the front wall 11.

In FIGS. 1 and 3, each plate 18, 18a, 18b and 180 is at the lower end of its travel and the rods such as rods 15, 15a are in their bottle-supporting or non-dispensing position. To release the lowermost bottle from the column, one of the plates 18, 18a, 18b or 180 is raised. During the first short portion of such upward movement, the links move the lower ends of the levers 16, 16a slightly farther apart and the rods 15, 15a move slightly toward each other. However, as the plate 18 moves upwardly beyond the position in which the links 19, 19a are horizontal, the links draw the lower ends of the levers 16, 16a toward each other and the rods 15, 15a away from each other until the rods 15, 15a are spaced sufiiciently to permit the lowermost bottle to drop between the rods, as shown in FIG. 2. A lowering rod such as the rod 22, in the meantime, has been moved upwardly into supporting engagement with the lowermost bottle. While the rod 22 then gently lowers the lowermost bottle, the plate 18 3 is also lowered and moves the rods 15, a toward each other to engage and support the bottle above the lowermost bottle and prevent the escape of the entire column of bottles. The plate 18 continues downwardly to its lowermost or rest position, bringing the rods 15, 15a to their normal or bottle-supporting position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The rod 22 is mounted on the free or movable ends of levers 23, such as the lever which is pivoted at 24 to extensions such as the extension 25 on respective ones of the walls 13. The operation of the rod 22 and the respective ones of the levers 23 in proper timed relation to actuation of the rods 15, 15a will be described later.

The vending machine includes an operating mechanism common to the several releasing mechanisms for operating the selected one of them. The mechanism includes a horizontally-extending, channel-shaped carriage 26 supported by and fastened at 26a and 26b to two plates 27, 27a which extend and are movable vertically through other slots formed at 271, 272, 273 and 274, but not shown in detail in the horizontal flanges of the channel member 21. The plates 27, 27a are moved up and down by links 28, 28a the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to the plates 27, 27a respectively and the lower ends of which are pivotally connected to oscillatable cam plates 29, 29a fixed on an oscillatable shaft 31 rotatably mounted on the extensions 25, 25a. The shaft 31 is actuated by means of a lever 32 fixed thereto. A rotatable cam plate 33, driven by a motor 34 through speed reduction gearing 35, carries a crank pin 36, which is connected to the free end of the lever 32 by a connecting rod 37. The crank pin makes one revolution for each dispensing operation, during which the lever 32 is raised and lowered once to oscillate the shaft 31 first in clockwise (FIG. 3) direction and then in counterclockwise direction, and during which the carriage 26 is raised and lowered. The periphery of the cam plate engages the operating finger of a carrier switch 38 to actuate the latter.

The levers such as the lever 23 carrying the rod 22 are also actuated by the cam plates 29, 29a being provided with rollers such as the roller 39 engaging in cam slots such as the slot 41 formed in respective ones of the cam plates 29, 29a. The cam slots 41 are of such shape that, when the cam plates 29, 29a are in the rest position shown in FIG. 3, the levers 23 and the rod 22 are in the lowermost position, and as the shaft 31 and the cam plates are rotated clockwise, the levers 23 and the rod 22 are moved upwardly as the carriage 26 is moved upwardly, so that the rod 22 engages the lowermost bottle about the time that it is released by the rods 15, 15a. Upon return movement of the cam plates 29 in counterclockwise direction, the carriage 26 is moved downwardly through the links 28, and the rod 22 and the levers 23 are moved downwardly by the cam slots 41.

The carriage 26 carries a horizontal hinge shaft 42 on which there is pivotally mounted a lifter such as the lifter 43 for each plate 18, 18a, 18b and 18c. The lifter 43 includes a finger 44 extending through a slot formed at 44a in the carriage 26 and movable into a slot 45 in the plate 18 into vertical alignment or registry with the upper edge of the slot 45 so that when the carriage 26 is raised, the finger 44 moves into abutment with the upper edge of the slot 45 and moves the plate 18 upwardly. The lifter 43 is rotated from its rest position in FIG. 3 to its operative position shown in FIG. 4 by energization of a solenoid 46. This is effected by means of a pin 47 carried by the lifter and extending through a recess 47a in an angle piece 48 attached to a vertically extending plate 49 which is attached to and actuated by the armature 51 of the solenoid 46.

To assure downward movement of all the plates 18 upon downward movement of the carriage 26, each plate is provided with an angle piece such as the piece 52 (FIG.

5) having a horizontally extending tab disposed under a tab 53 struck out from the carriage 26 and adapted to be engaged thereby upon downward movement of the carriage 26.

There is shown in FIG. 6 a control incorporating the present invention and adapted for use with a vending machine as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, having four bottle compartments 14, 14a, 14b and 14c and adapted to contain and vend bottles of three ditferent flavors, the third and fourth compartments 14b and 14c containing bottles of the same flavor. This control comprises three push button selector switches 55, 55a and 55b, one for each flavor, the first and second selector switches 55, and 55a being associated with the first and second solenoids 46, 46a, respectively, for first and second flavor compartments 14, 14a and the third selector switch 551) being associated with and adapted to control the third and fourth solenoids 46b, 460 for the two third flavor compartments 14b and 14c.

Each selector switch comprises a movable armature which normally engages contacts such as contacts 56, and 56a respectively, except in the last switch 55!), the contacts 56, 56a of the several switches being connected in series, but which movable armature is adapted, when actuated, to engage normally open sets of contacts such as contacts 57, 57a, 57b, respective ones of which are connected through an associated empty" switch 92, 92a, 92b, 92c to the upper terminal of the associated solenoid 46, 46a, 46b and 460. Thus, when any one selector switch such as switch 55, 55a, 55b is actuated, it opens the circuit to the selector switches 55, 55a, 55b, later in series, to the right in FIG. 6, and completes the circuit to the associated solenoid 46, 46a, 46b or 46c as the case may be.

The contacts 57b of the third selector switch 55b are connected alternately to the third and fourth solenoids 46b and 46c by means of a transfer switch 58 shown in FIG. 1. When the plate 18b of the third compartment 14b is raised during a dispensing operation, a projection 59 carried thereon engages a lever 60 of the transfer switch 58 to move it clockwise to bring its movable contact into engagement with the contact for the fourth solenoid 46c, so that the next time that the third selector switch 551) is actuated, a bottle will be dispensed from the fourth compartment 140. Upon such dispensing operation, upward movement of the fourth compartment plate causes its projection 59a to rotate the arm 60 counterclockwise and move the transfer switch 58 back to the position shown for subsequent operation of the third solenoid 46b. The transfer switch is the subject of an application of Graham C. McCloy, Serial No. 367,480, filed May 14, 1964.

Each solenoid 46, 46a, 46b and 46c is provided with a hold-in switch 62, 62a, 62b and 620 operated thereby in any suitable manner; for example, the angle piece of each solenoid such as the angle piece 48 for solenoid 46 (FIG. 4) may be provided with a projection 61 that engages an operating finger of the switch 62 when the solenoid armature 51 is raised upon energization of the solenoid 46, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Each solenoid 46, 46a, 46b and 460 comprises a movable armature 62, 62a, 62b and 620 that normally engages respective contacts 63a, 63b and 630, except in the switch last in series i.e. contacts for solenoid 46, the contacts 63a, 63b and 63c of the several switches being connected in series, but which movable armature is adapted, when the respective solenoid is energized, to engage normally ,open contacts 64, 64a, 64b, 640, connected to the upper terminal of the associated solenoid. Thus, when any solenoid is energized and its respective armature 62, 62a, 62b, 62c is actuated, the respective contacts or hold-in switches 63a, 63b, 630 open the circuit to the hold in switches later in the series of hold-in switches or to the left in FIG. 6, and complete a holding circuit through the respective contacts 64, 64a, 64b or 64c to the associated solenoid, 46, 46a, 46b or 460 to maintain it energized.

Each of the selector switches 55, 55a, 55b and solenoid armatures 62, 62a, 62b and 620, other than the one last in series, may be referred to as a three-way switch, one of each pair of contacts being connected to a common terminal or conductor which, in turn, is connected to the normally closed contact of the switch previous in series or to the conductor through which current is supplied to the switches.

The control includes a coin switch 66 having a movable contact or armature 66a connected to the power supply or line conductor L1 and operated by a pivoted finger 67 that extends into a coin chute 68. The movable contact 66a normally engages a stationary contact 69, but is movable by a coin passing through the coin chute 68 into momentary contact with a stationary contact 71, which is connected to one terminal of the winding of a credit relay 72.

A coin deflecting finger 73 is pivotally mounted and is biased by a spring 74 so as to extend into the coin chute 68 above the finger 67 to deflect a coin into a coin return chute 75. The finger 73 is adapted to be retracted by a solenoid 76 from the coin chute to permit passage of a coin into the coin collect chute 68.

The credit relay 72 includes a movable contact armature 72a normally engaging cont-acts 78 but which is movable, upon energization of the coil of the relay, into engagement with contacts 79 connected to the coil of the relay to provide a hold-in circuit therefor. The credit relay 72 further includes contacts 81 which are closed upon energization of the credit relay and movement of its armature 72b.

The control further includes a vend relay 82 having an upper movable contact armature 82a normally engaging stationary contacts 84 and movable upon energization of the relay coil into engagement with normally open stationary contacts 85. The vend relay further comprises normally open contacts 88 to be closed by movable armature 82b for connecting the vend motor 34 to the line conductor L1 when vend relay 82 is energized.

A conductor 86 extends from the stationary contacts 84 to the vend relay 82 to the common conductor of the first selector switch 55, and may be referred to as a first conductor providing a first circuit for supplying electric current to the selector switches 55, 55a and 55b connected in series. A conductor 87 connects the stationary contacts 85 with the common conductor of the hold-in switch stationary contacts 630 first in series with stationary contacts 631), 63a and 64 and may be referred to as a second conductor providing a second circuit for supplying electric current to the aforementioned hold-in switches.

The cam switch 38 comprises a movable contact armature 38a which is connected to line conductor L1 and which engages a stationary contact 89 when the cam 33 engages the operating finger of the switch as shown and which engages a stationary contact 91 when the cam disengages the operating finger to open the aforementioned circuit with contact 89.

The control may include respective series connected empty switches 92, 92a, 92b, 92c, and empty switches 93, 93a, 93b and 930 for each bottle compartment 14, 14a, 14b and 140, both of which switches are opened when the associated compartment is empty. Each switch 92, 92a, 92b and 920 is connected between the respective associated selector switch 55, 55a and 55b and the solenoid 46, 46a, 46b and 46a of the associated compartment 14, 14a, 14b and 140, except that the third and fourth switches 92b and 92c are connected in series with each other and between the third selector switch 55b and the associated solenoids 46b and 460. The empty switches 93, 93a, 93b and 930, are connected between the stationary contact 89 of the '6 cam switch and the stationary contacts 78 of the credit relay '72, the switches 93, 93a, 93b and 93c, being connected in parallel with each other, except that the third and fourth switches 93b and 930 are in series with each switch 93 and 93a and in parallel with the others.

The above-mentioned parts of the control are connected as clearly shown in the drawings and to provide the electrical circuits which will be apparent from the following description of the operation of the control.

Operation FIG. 6 shows the control when the machine is not in operation, but is ready for operation. The only circuit energized is the circuit for the coin reject solenoid 76 which holds the finger 73 retracted to permit a coin to proceed through the coin collect chute 68 to actuate the finger 67 of the coin switch 66. The circuit for the coin reject solenoid 76 extends from line conductor L1 through normally closed contact 89 of the cam switch 38, one (or a serially connected pair) of the empty switches 93, 93a, 533b, or 930 the normally closed contacts 78 of the credit relay 72, and the solenoid 76 to the power supply or line conductor L2. Upon depositing the required coinage, therefore, it will momentarily actuate the coin switch armature 66a into engagement with the normally open stationary contact 71 to complete a momentary circuit extending from line conductor L1 through the coil of the credit relay 72 to line conductor L2. The armature 72a of the credit relay 72 is now raised, and the circuit from line conductor L1 which extended through the carrier switch 38 and an empty switch 93 to the solenoid 76 is now opened at the contacts 78 and instead extended through the stationary contacts 79 to complete a hold-in circuit for the coil of the credit relay 72, which remains energized as the coin switch re-engages contact 69. At this time, after the pass-age of the coin beyond the switch finger 67, the contacts 81 of the credit relay are also closed through armature 72b, thereby extending a circuit from power supply or line conductor L1 through contact 69 of the coin switch, the contacts 81 of the credit relay '72, the normally closed contacts 84 of the vend relay 82 and conductor 86 to the normally closed contacts of the series connected group of selector switches 55, 55a and stationary open contacts 57b of selector switch 55b.

The control is now in condition for the purchaser to make his selection by actuating the appropriate one of the selector switches 55, 55a, or 55b. To select the second flavor, he actuates the second selector switch 55a and, assuming that the associated column is not empty, there is now completed a circuit through the second selector switch contacts 570;, normally closed empty switch contacts 92a, and the second solenoid 46a to line conductor L2. It will be noted that when the second selector switch 55a is actuated, it opens its contacts 56a and thereby open-s the circuit to the selector switches later in series, such as the selector switch 551), rendering the latter ineffective. The second solenoid 46a moves its associated lifter similar to the lifter 43 (FIG. 4) to project its finger 44 into the slot 45 of the rod operating plate 18 for the second compartment 14a; in other words, to couple the operating mechanism to the selected bottle releasing or dispensing mechanism. It should be pointed out, to avoid confusion, that the details of the solenoids 46, 46a, 46b and 460 and their associated coupling mechanisms such as the lifter 43 and finger 44 are the same for each operating plate 18, 18a, 18b and 18c of each compartment 14, 14a, 14b and and the details have actually been shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings as associated with the solenoid 46 and first compartment 14 although now being described in connection with FIG. 6 for the operation of the solenoid 46a for the second compartment 14a.

As the armature 62a of the solenoid 46a moves upwardly, it also closes the associated hold-in switch contacts 64a, there-by closing a circuit extending from the then momentarily closed contacts 57a of the second selector switch 55a, through the normally closed empty switch contacts 92a to the contacts 64a of the actuated hold-in switch 62a and through the normally closed holdin switch contacts 63b, 63c earlier in series, or to the right as shown in FIG. 6, and through a conductor 87 to the coil of the vend relay 82.

The vent relay 82 is thereby energized and opens the normally closed contacts 84, thereby opening the series circuit to the selector switches 55, 55a and 55b and rendering them ineffective. At the same time, the vend relay 82 closes its contacts 85 to complete a hold-in circuit for itself from line conductor L1 through normally closed coin switch contact 69, then closed credit relay contacts 81 and then closed vend relay contacts 85 to the coil of the vend relay 82 and to the second solenoid 46a through conductor 87, contacts 63b and 63c of the third and fourth hold-in switches and contacts 64a of the second solenoid 46a. At the same time also, the vend relay closes the normally open contacts 88 to complete a circuit from line conductor L1 to the vend motor 34, whose other terminal is connected to line conductor L2. The motor 34 now effects operation of the vending machine in the manner described above, the releasing mechanism for the second compartment being operated to vend a bottle of the second flavor since its solenoid 46a is energized to connect the similar operating finger such as the finger 44 in the slot 45 of the operating plate 18 shown by FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings.

It will be noted that upon actuation of the second selector switch 55a, the circuit is opened to the selector switches to the right or those later in selector switch series such as selector switch 55b. When the hold-in switch of the second solenoid 46a is actuated, it opens the hold-in circuit to the holding switch contacts 64 for the solenoid 46 to the left or later in the hold-in series and also it produces energization of the vend relay 82 to open the circuit to all the selector switches 55, 55a and 55b, there by to prevent energization of any other solenoid 46, 46b or 46c.

It will be noted from FIG. 4 that a certain amount of vertical movement upwards by the channel member 26 takes place before the finger 44 engages the upper edge of the slot 45 to lift the operating plate 18. This movement is useful in this way: If it were possible to actuate the second and then the first selector switch 55a and 55 in such rapid succession that the circuit to the first solenoid 46 could be closed by the selector switch before this circuit is opened by the vend relay 82, there is sufficient time for the finger 44 associated with the first solenoid 46 to be retracted by its spring upon deenergization of the first solenoid 46 by the vend relay prior to engagement of the finger 44 with the upper edge of the slot in the rod-operating plate 18. It will thus be seen that since all selector switches 55, 55a and 55b are rendered ineffective by the operation of the vend relay 82 and the actuated hold-in switch armature 62, 62a, 62b, 62c first in circuit opens the hold-in circuit to all the remaining solenoids, no more than one solenoid 46, 46a, 46b or 46c can possibly be energized and maintain its associated lifter such as the lifter 18, 18a, 18b and 180 in position to be effective.

When the operating mechanism has completed more than one-half of the dispensing operation, the cam 33 disengages the movable contact armature 38a of the cam switch 38, so that it disengages the normally closed contact 89 and engages the contact 91. This opens the holdin circuit for the credit relay 72, which is thereby deenergized to reopen the contacts 81. The latter contacts 81, When open, open the hold-in circuit for the vend relay 82 and also the hold-in circuit for the second solenoid 8 4601, which thereupon permits its lifter such as the lifter 43 to be rotated to retract its finger 44 from the slot 45 of the operating plate 18a. At the same time, there is completed a circuit for the motor 34 which extends from line conductor L1, through then closed cam switch contact 91 and the motor 34 to line conductor L2.

Upon completion of the vending operation, the cam 33 again engages the movable armature 38a of the cam switch 38 to restore the normally closed stationary contact 89. This opens the circuit to the motor 34, which is now deenergized, as ,the parallel connected contacts 88 to the motor 34 have been opened by the deenergization of the vend relay 82. At the same time, the circuit to the sole noid 76 is re-established, thereby returning the control to the position shown in FIG. 6, in which it is again ready to receive the required coinage to begin another vending operation. In the foregoing description of the operation of the invention, there has been described a novel arrangement of connecting solenoid 46, 46a, 46b and 460 in a circuit that assures that only one such solenoid can be energized at a time for a period long enough to connect the common operating mechanism which is the lift channel or carriage 26 to a selected one only of the operating plates 18, 18a, 18b or 180 for each compartment 14, 14a, 141 or thus assuring that only one selected bottle will be vended for each coin collected. It will be remembered that each solenoid 46, 46a, 46b and 460, carried by the common operating channel 26 is associated with a particular connecting finger such as the specifically shown finger 44 for a particular associated one of the operating plates 18, 18a, 18b and of a particular vend compartment.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vending machine comprising a plurality of dispensing mechanisms,

2. common operating mechanism for said dispensing mechanisms, including,

a respective solenoid for each dispensing mechanism, a driving connection adapted to be moved to connect said common operating mechanism to a selected dispensing mechanism upon the energization of each said solenoid,

a plurality of selector switches each adapted to control at least one solenoid,

means providing a circuit extending through the selector switches in series and adapted to be connected to a power supply conductor,

each selector switch being operable, when manually actuated, to connect a solenoid controlled thereby to said circuit and to open the circuit to the selector switch or switches later in the series of selector switches and, when in non-actuated condition, to open the circuit to the solenoid controlled thereby, and to continue the circuit to the selector switch next in the series of selector switches,

each solenoid being provided with a hold-in switch,

means providing a circuit extending through the hold-in switches in series and adapted to be connected to a power supply conductor,

each hold-in switch being operable, upon actuation of the solenoid in response to energization thereof, to connect the associated solenoid to the hold-in circuit and to open the hold-in circuit to the hold-in switches later in the series of hold-in switches and, in the nonactuated condition of the solenoid, to disconnect the associated solenoid from the hold-in circuit and to continue the hold-in circuit to the hold-in switch later in the series of hold-in switches, and

means responsive to such actuation of any hold-in switch for opening the first-mentioned circuit to all of the selector switches.

2. A vending machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said driving connection includes a lost motion, in each dispensing operation of the machine, between the operation of the common operating mechanism and the actuation of the selected dispensing mechanism.

3. A vending machine comprising a plurality of releasing mechanisms for articles of different variety,

a common operating mechanism for releasing said mechanisms,

means associated with each releasing mechanism and including a respective solenoid and a mechanical element actuated by each said solenoid and adapted to be moved to mechanically interconnect between the common operating mechanism and the associated releasing mechanism upon energization of each said solenoid,

first and second conductors adapted to be connected to a power supply conductor for energizing said solenoids,

a plurality of manually actuated selector switches connected in series relation, the switch first in series being connected to said first conductor and each switch being adapted, when actuated, to open the circuit to the selector switches later in series and to complete a connection from said first conductor to one terminal of the associated solenoid,

each solenoid being provided with a hold-in switch,

the several hold-in switches being connected in series relation and the switch first in series being connected to said second conductor, and each switch being adapted, upon actuation of the associated solenoid, to open the circuit from the second conductor to the hold-in switches later in series and to complete a holdin connection from the second conductor to the said one terminal of the associated solenoid,

and means responsive to the actuation of any one solenoid to disconnect said first conductor from said power supply conductor and to initiate operation of said common operating mechanism; and

means responsive to operation of said common operating mechanism after at least a portion of a dispensing operation has been completed to open the circuit through said second conductor.

4. A vending machine comprising a plurality of dispensing mechanisms for articles of different variety,

a common operating mechanism for said dispensing mechanisms,

means including a plurality of solenoids each adapted to be energized to establish a mechanical connection between the comm-on operating mechanism and the selected dispensing mechanism,

a plurality of manually actuated three-way selector switches, each having a normally closed contact, a normally open contact, and a common conductor connectable to one or the other of said contacts,

means providing a circuit for the selector switches extending to the common conductor of the first switch in series and then from the normally closed contact of each selector switch other than the last to the common conductor of the selector switch next in series,

each solenoid, except one, being provided with a threeway hold-in switch having a normally closed contact, a normal-1y open contact and a common conductor connectable to one or the other of said contacts,

means providing a second circuit extending in series through the normally closed contacts of the several hold-in switches, the common conductor of each hold-in switch other than the last being connected to the normally closed contact of the previous holdin switch in series, and

means operable when any hold-in switch is moved to engage its normally open contact, to open the first circuit to render all selector switches ineffective and to close contacts for connecting the second circuit to a power supply conductor.

5. A vending machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein the circuit extending through the selector switches in series extends in the opposite direction from the direction in which the second circuit extends through the hold-in switches in series.

6. A Vending machine comprising a plurality of dispensing mechanisms for articles of diiTe-rent variety,

a common operating mechanism for said dispensing mechanisms,

means including a plurality of solenoids each adapted to be energized to establish a mechanical connection between the common operating mechanism and the selected dispensing mechanism,

a plurality of manually actuated three-way selector switches, each having a normally closed contact, a normally open contact, and a common conductor connectable to one or the other of said contacts,

means including a relay and providing a circuit for the selector switches extending through contacts of said relay to the movable contact of the first switch in series and then from the normally closed contact of each selector switch other than the last to the movable contact of the selector switch next in series,

each solenoid being provided with a three-way hold-in switch having a normally closed contact and a normally open contact and a common conductor engageable with one or the other of said contacts,

means providing a second circuit extending through the several hold-in switches in series, the movable contact member of each holding switch other than the first being connected to the normally open contact of the previous hold-in switch in series,

the second circuit being arranged so that when any holdin switch is moved to engage its normally open contact, the relay is energized, by current flowing through the selector switch and the hold-in switch of the energized solenoid and through the hold-in switches earlier in series, and opens the first circuit to render all selector switches ineffective and connects the second circuit to a power supply conductor.

7. A vending machine comprising a plurality of dispensing mechanisms,

a common operating mechanism for said dispensing mechanisms,

means including a solenoid for each dispensing mechanism, means responsive to the energization of each said solenoid for mechanically connecting said com mon operating mechanism and a selected dispensing mechanism,

a plurality of selector switches arranged in series relation, each selector switch being adapted to control at least one solenoid,

means providing a circuit extending through the selector switches in series and adapted to be connected to a power supply conductor,

each selector switch being operable, when manually actuated, to connect a solenoid controlled thereby to said circuit and to open the circuit to the selector switch or switches later in the series of selector switches and, when in non-actuated condition, to open the circuit to the solenoid controlled thereby, and to continue the circuit to the selector switch next in the series of selector switches,

each solenoid being provided with a hold-in switch,

means providing a circuit extending through the holdin switches in series and adapted to be connected to a power supply conductor,

each hold-in switch being operable, upon actuation of the associated solenoid in response to energization thereof, to connect the solenoid to the hold-in circuit and to open the hold-in circuit to the hold-in switches later in the series of hold-in switches and, in the nonactuated condition of the solenoid, to disconnect the associated solenoid from the hold-in circuit and to continue the hold-in circuit to the hold-in switch later in the series of hold-in switches, and

a relay comprising normally closed contacts, normally open contacts and a coil,

said normally closed relay contacts being adapted to connect the selector switch circuit to a power supply conductor and the normally open relay contacts being adapted to connect said hold-in circuit to ,a power supply conductor, the relay coil being connected to said hold-in circuit,

whereby when any hold-in switch is actuated upon energization of its solenoid, the hold-in circuit is supplied with current first through the selector switch and the hold-in switch of the actuated solenoid to energize the relay coil, which thereupon disconnects the selector switch circuit from, and the hold-in circuit to, the power supply conductor.

References Cited by the Examiner 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,586,351 2/52 La-rimore 221-129 2,634,185 4/53 Wilder 221-128 2,660,282 11/53 Gross 221-129 2,956,661 10/60 Radcliffe 194-10 10 3,001,669 9/61 Tandler et a1 221 129 3,040,928 6/62 Levine 221-129 3,074,593 1/63 Krakauer et al 221/ 129 3,118,567 1/64 Newberry -1 221-126 15 LOUIS J. DEMBO,

Primary Examiner. 

1. A VENDING MACHINE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF DISPENSING MECHANISMS, A COMMON OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SID DISPENSING MECHANISMS, INCLUDING, A RESPECTIVE SOLENOID FOR EACH DISPENSING MECHANISM, A DRIVING CONNECTION ADAPTED TO BE MOVED TO CONNECT SAID COMMON OPERATING MECHANISM TO A SELECTED DISPENSING MECHANISM UPON THE ENERGIZATION OF EACH SAID SOLENOID A PLURALITY OF SELECTOR SWITCHES EACH ADAPTED TO CONTROL AT LEAST ONE SOLENOID, MEANS PROVIDING A CIRCUIT EXTENDING THROUGH THE SELECTOR SWITCHES IN SERIES AND ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A POWER SUPPLY CONDUCTOR, EACH SELECTOR SWITCH BEING OPERABLE, WHEN MANUALLY ACTUATED, TO CONNECT A SOLENOID CONTROLLED THEREBY TO SAID CIRCUIT AND TO OPEN THE CIRCUIT TO THE SELECTOR SWITCH OR SWITCHES LATER IN THE SERIES OF SELECTOR SWITCHES AND, WHEN IN NON-ACTUATED CONDITION, TO OPEN THE CIRCUIT TO THE SOLENOID CONTROLLED THEREBY, AND TO CONTINUE THE CIRCUIT TO THE SELECTOR SWITCH NEXT IN THE SERIES OF SELECTOR SWITCHES, 